VI.

SERM. usually sold as horses in Smithfield. But if we could be content to give indeed, let that heroical mind that was in Abraham be in us, that as he would not take any thing of Gen. 14.23. Melchizedek, so we will not be "a shoe-latchet" the richer by the devil. If he offer to make us wealthy, let us answer him, Pecunia tua tecum pereat.

[Acts 8.

20.]

[It was the King of Sodom, and not Melchizedek.]

SEVEN SERMONS

UPON THE

TEMPTATION OF CHRIST IN THE
WILDERNESS.

SERMON VII.

MATTHEW iv. 10, 11.

Then Jesus saith unto him, Get thee hence behind Me, Satan ; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold the Angels came, and ministered unto Him.

[Tunc dicit ei Jesus, Vade Satana; scriptum est enim, Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, et Illi soli servies.

Tunc reliquit Eum diabolus, et ecce Angeli accesserunt, et ministrabant Ei. Lat. Vulg.]

[Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou

serve.

Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold Angels came, and ministered unto Him. Eng. Trans.]

THE answering of this temptation, if some had had the answering of it, would have been facto, 'by the doing' of the thing that the devil required; and not in words, standing upon terms in disputation. Insomuch, as they would never have cared for a cushion to kneel on, but have fallen down straight on their very faces, and have thanked him too.

SERM.
VII.

Num. 22.

17.

11.

2 Kings 11. J.

2 Kings 10. S.

If Balak should say unto one of them, "I will promote thee to great honour," an Angel standing in the way should not hinder him from going. The manner of flesh and blood is, in cases of preferment, to respect nothing that may bring them out of their conceived hope or desire thereof; and therefore whatsoever it is that stands in their way, be it never so holy, down it shall for haste to make the way nearest.

"The mother of dead," makes no

In regard of this, one brother respects not another. When Gen. 37.5. Joseph had had "a dream" of his brethren, and "told it" 2 Sam. 16. them, all brotherly affection was laid aside. The son and subject Absalom forgetteth his duty as to his father, and allegiance as to his prince, seeking his life. Ahaziah, Athaliah, when she saw her son more ado but "destroys all the king's seed." Jehu makes no bones, nor is abashed at the sight of "heaps" of dead men's heads, of the king's sons that he had caused to be slain, but adds more murders to them. What's a basketful of heads to Mat. 2.16. a kingdom? And Herod stuck not to kill all the male-born children in Bethlehem. So that Gregory might well say, Ambitio est vita cui etiam innocentes nocent: such is the vehement desire of a kingdom.

23.]

So that a great many would have made no scruple at the matter, neither would they have counted it a temptation, but [Mat. 16. good counsel. Neither would so have cut up Peter as Christ did, to bid him go behind Him, and turn their backs on Jer. 2. 27. him; but they would rather "have turned their backs" to God, and their faces "after Satan." And indeed it must needs be, that either our Saviour was unwise in refusing so good an offer, or else the world in these days is in a wrong bias.

1 Tim. 5. 15.

Our Saviour, we see, doth not only refuse the thing, but also gives him hard words for making the offer and motion. For He doth not only confute him here by saying, Scriptum est; but He adds words of bitter reprehension, saying, "Avoid, Satan!" He might have given fair words, as He did before; but here He seemeth to have left His patience. The reason why He was more hot in this than in the former is, for that this toucheth the glory of God, and the redemption of mankind the former temptations touched but Himself in particular, as the turning of stones into bread, but for miracle; and the casting Himself down was but to try God what care He

had of Him. But this so much toucheth the glory of God, as He can hold no longer. Also His longing to redeem man caused the same. Neither did He only answer the devil so, but when His blessed Apostle who meant friendly to Him moved Him to the like matter, IIe rebuked him sharply.

Two causes there are wherein Christ is very earnest one in counsel ministered to Him, tending to the impairing of God's glory; the other in practices tending to the impairing of God's Church: there IIe was not only vehement in words, Joh, 2. 15. but made a whip to scourge them out. And so in the Old Testament it is said of Moses, that "he was a meck man, Num. 12.3. above all the men of the earth;" yet when he came to a case

19. 28.

of idolatry, it is said, "he threw the tables out of his hands, Exod. 32. and brake them." And so far did he lose his natural affection to his people and countrymen, that he caused a great number of them to be slain.

15.

[Lu.2.14.]

And so in a case of the Church, when Korah rebelled, then Num. 16. Moses waxed very angry; for, "Glory be to God on high, and peace on earth," is the Angels' song and joy, and the devil's grief; as on the other side, the dishonour of God, and dissension of the Church, is the devil's joy, and grief of the Angels.

Now, besides that He doth in words rebuke him sharply, He doth no less in gesture also; as by turning His back upon him (as it is most like IIe did in saying "Avoid, Satan") which is such a despiteful disgrace, as if that one should offer us the like, we would take it in very great disdain. Which is to us an instruction, that as there is a time when we are to keep the devil before us, and to have our eye still upon him, and his weapon or temptation, for fear lest unawares he might do us some hurt, so is there a place, a time, and a sin, that we are to turn our backs on, and not once to look at his temptation.

In affliction, patience is to be tried; there "resist the devil," Jas. 4. 7. stand to him, "and he will fly from ye." Here we are to set the devil before us. But in a case of lust, or filthy desire, 1 Cor.6.18. then do ye fly from him. So in the second Epistle to Timothy the second chapter and twenty-second verse, we are exhorted to "fly from the lusts of youth, and to follow justice;" there is no standing to gaze back on the devil and his temptations. Now to the answer, Scriptum est.

The disputing or deciding of the devil's title, that is,

VII.

SERM. whether the kingdoms of the earth were his to give or no, Christ stands not upon; nor upon this, whether the devil were a man of his word or no. Indeed, it might well have been doubted, whether the devil be as good as his word; his [2 Cor. 1. promises are not "Yea and Amen," as the promises of God are. We may take example by Eve, to whom he promised, that if they did eat of the forbidden fruit, that they should be like gods; but were they so indeed, after they had eaten? No, but like the beasts that perish. And as true it is that the kingdoms are his.

20.]

If the kingdom of Israel had been at his disposition, we may be sure David should never have been king; as well appeareth by the troubles he raised against him. No, nor

Hezekiah neither, of all other he would never choose such. Job 2. 7. We may see his good will in Job; he could not only be content to spoil him of all that he had, but also he must Mat. 8.30, afflict his body: and so upon the Gergesenes' hogs.

32.

[Jobl. 12.]

Judg. 9.
1. &c.
Mat. 2.
1, &c.

8.

The kingdoms are none of his, but they are committed to him in some sort to dispose, as himself saith, Luke the fourth chapter, and sixth verse. He hath, as it were, an advowson of them, to present unto them; but yet, not as he there saith, to give to whom he list, but to whom he is permitted.

God must first put all that Job hath in his hands, or else he can do nothing. Abimelech and Herod came to their kingdoms by the devil's patent, they be the devil's officers. So we see daily in our days, that he bestows offices, and presents to Churches. So that, as Brentius saith, many have panem quotidianum that cannot come by Da nobis, they come not to it by God's gift; yet all the interest that the devil hath, is but to present pro hac vitá tantum. As therefore it may be true, that in some sort they may be given him, so yet not to dispose as he will.

It is God only That can say so, for His only they are absoPs. 24. 1. lutely. "The earth is the Lord's, and all the fulness thereof, Deut. 32. the round world and all that dwell therein." It is He, "the most high God, That divided to the nations their inheritance." Prov. 8.15. "By Him kings reign, and princes have dominion." He Dan. 5. 21. brought Nebuchadnezzar to know that "the most high God bare rule over the kingdoms of men." He indeed well

may